Gas and magnetic telephone system



(No Model.)A l 2 sheets-sheet 1'.

J. H. ROGERS.

GAS; ANDMAG-NBTIG TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

No. 292,857. Patented Peb.V 5, 1884.`

In :fen/fo r.' JavuagH. Royer.;

...n....nuhuwn HHH# sang/a.'

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

- `J. H. RUGBRS.

GAS AND MAGNETIC TSLBPHQNB SYSTEM. No.. 292,857.

Patented Feb. 5 1884.

UNTTED STATESl PATENT @Errea JAMES HARRIS ROGERS, OF VASHINGTON, D. C., ASSIGXGR- TO THE AMERICAN ELECTRO-GAS TELEPHONE CGMPANY, OF NEv JERSEY.

GAS AND MAGNETIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,357', dated February 5, 1884.

Application filed March To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES Hamers Roc'nns, a citizen of the United States, residing at XVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented Improvements in Gas and Magnetic Telephone Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of combining a telephonie system in which the gas or other pipes of a building are used for transmitting sound-waves conveyed through the gas or air confined in said pipes with an electromagnetic telephone Aof any of the usual forms adapted for the purposes of my present invention, or with such modification as may be necessary to so adapt it that a person in an apartment in a building in which the gas or other pipe telephone is applied may speak through the said gas or other pipe telephone, and by the use of the electro-magnetic telephone with which said gas or other pipe telephone is connected may speak to a point or points outside of the building through the usual medium of electric connections.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional diagram of an apparatus adapted for carrying my invention into eitect, or so much of said apparatus as it is necessary to illustrate in order to make my invention clearly intelligible to any one skilled in the art to which it appertains. Fig. 2 is a diagram on a smaller scale, showing two stations or houses'connected by my system.

G may represent a ground-connection5 B, a battery; IV WQ conducting-wires.

A represents a telephonie transmitting and receiving instrument, containing a diaphragm, a, susceptible to sound-waves, and acted on in the usual manner by an electro-magnet, C, and serving, when used as a transmitting-instru ment, to transmit the necessary impulses through the wire IV.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Fig. l the magnet C is hollow, and is connected with the gas-pipe D, which, extending to various apartments of the building, is provided with any desirable number of branches 7, 1583.v (No modeh) furnished with translnitting and receiving instruments E, which are provided with diaphragms a', adapted to confine the gas wit-hin the pipes while permitting the passage of sound-waves between the atmosphere and said conned gas. It will now appear that when a person speaks at E through the gas-telephone the sound-waves conveyed through the confined gasl will act on the diaphragm a in the receiving and transmitting instrument A, the sound-waves being audible not only to a person applying his ear to the said instrument A, but also causing the latter to serve as a transmittinginstrument, by means of which the message will be conveyed through the linewire IV to other points, in the manner usual with electro-magnetic telephones. The gas pipe D is connected directly with the mouth of the transmittinginstrument A, causing said instrument to serve as an automatic transmitter for the use of persons located in any apartment in the building to which the gas-pipe D may extend, and which are provided with the gas-telephone transmitting and receiving instruments E.

The instrument A serves as a receiver for messages coming from points outside the building through the line-wire IV, and transmits the same through the gas-pipe D to the various apartments in the building, which are provided with the receiving-instruments E.

The above-described apparatus is found to operate successfully under favorable conditions; but to insure its more 'perfect working under less favorable conditions I employ a microph one-transmitter, as shown at T, introduced in the same circuit, and having its mouthpiece in communication with the interior ol" the gas-pipe. This transmitter may be, in other respects, of usual construction, and does not require a more detailed description.

The operation of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the diagram Fig. 2, which shows two buildings, each provided with my gas-telephone system, and connected by line-wires, which may form a communication between two buildings simply, or may go through a telephone exchange or central oiice in the ordinary manner. A person speaking at E or A in one building may be IOO heard by one at the other point, and the soundwaves also communicate with the transmitter T in the same building, which transmits the message through the line-wire IV to the other building, where it is heard directly at the receiving-instrument A2 in the second building, or is transmitted therefrom through the gaspipes D2 to the receiving and transmitting gastelephone instruments EZ in various apartments of the second building. A conversation may be carried on between the points A and E through the gas-pipes D in one building without the intervention of the electric telephone apparatus. In like manner a person at A2 or E2 in the other building can carry on a conversation with one in another apartment of the same building through the gaspipes therein, while by the combined intervention of the gas-pipes and the transmitter T or T2 a person in either room of the building can converse through the ordinary electromagnetic-telephone system with one in another building or at any distant point.

S represents a call-bell adapted to be actuated by the impulses ofthe confined gas through a transmitter, T, by breaking the contacts of said transmitter. The operation is as follows: Vhen desiring to signal from the gas-telephone Eto the receiving and transmitting instrument A, the diaphragm a of the gas-telephone may be agitated, as by tapping, and by this means momentarily break the contacts in the transmitter T and ring a call-bell arranged to be operated by this breaking of the circuit.

Other suitable electro-magnetic call-signals may be employed for the same purpose, or a call-bell actuated directly by the impulses of the confined gas may be used. Such a one is shown and described in Letters Patent No. 251,465, dated December 27, 1881.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with two or more electro-magnetic telephones connected in circuit, of a gas or other pipe and gas-telephones, consisting of diaphragms stretched or placed over suitable apertures in said pipe or in pipes connected therewith, so as to confine the gas or aeriform fluid in the pipe or pipes, while permit-ting the passage of sound-waves, and causing said sound-waves to act upon the diaphragm of the electro-magnetic-telephone instrument, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a gas or other pipe or pipes provided with gas-telephone receiving and transmitting instruments, as described, of a diaphragm acted on by vibrations in the gas or aeriform fluid confined in said pipes, and an electric circuit closed and broken by the vibrations of said diaphragm, and serving to aetuate an electric or other call signal, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a pipe or pipes containing gas or aeriform iluid, an electro-magnetic receiving and transmitting instrument having a hollow magnet, through which soundwaves in the fluid of the pipes will act on the telephone-diaphragm, and a second electromagnetic receiving-instrument connected in circuit with the first, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

A 4. The combination of a system of pipes containing gas or aeriform fluid and provided with gas-telephone receiving and transmitting instruments, with a system of electro-magnetictelephone receiving and transmitting instruments connected in circuit and adapted to receive sound-vibrations from the pipes, as and for the purposes set fort-h.

J. HARRIS ROGERS.

"Witnesses:

Oc'rAviUs KNrGHr, W. J. CAHooNn. 

